Ingredients

For the pumpkin spice:

• 4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground clove

For the sponge:

• 230g butter, room temp
• 350g caster sugar
• dash vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 70g treacle
• 420g pumpkin puree
• 380g plain flour
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bread soda
• pinch salt

For the cream cheese buttercream:

• 200g butter, room temp
• 200g icing sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 30g cream cheese

For the meringue:

• 160g egg whites
• 160g caster sugar
• 160g icing sugar

Tools

• Titanium Chef Patissier XL

Method

For the pumpkin spice:

1. To make the pumpkin spice, mix all the spices and set aside until needed.

For the pumpkin spice sponges:

1. Preheat your oven to 170C/150C fan.
2. Line the base of 2 x 8" round loose bottom cake tins with parchment paper. Grease and dust the base and sides, set aside.
3. In the bowl of your Kenwood stand mixer fitted with the K-beater attachment, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until soft and creamy.
4. Gradually add the eggs, scraping down and mixing well in between each addition.
5. To this, add the treacle and pumpkin puree and mix.
6. The cake batter may look split at this point but don't panic!
7. Sieve the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, soda and baking powder into the bowl and mix until smooth.
8. Spoon this batter evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 45/50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
9. Remove and rest in the tins for 5 minutes before removing fully onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Once cold, the sponges can be popped into the fridge as it leaves them easier to cut and decorate.

For the buttercream:

1. Into the bowl of your Kenwood mixer, fitted with the K-beater attachment, cream the butter, sugar and pumpkin spice until soft and pale.
2. Add the cream cheese and mix through but don't overmix. Set aside.

To assemble:

1. Cut each sponge in half lengthways, leaving you with four thin sponges.
2. Pop one sponge onto a lined baking tray and add a spoon of buttercream. Place a sponge on top and continue until they're all sandwiched together. Don't cover the outside of the sponge with buttercream, as this will be covered with meringue.
3. Place this back in the fridge to firm up for 1 hour.

For the meringue:

1. Preheat your oven to its hottest setting.
2. Place the egg whites into the bowl of your Kenwood mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
3. Whisk the egg whites until white and frothy, add the caster sugar and whisk for a few minutes on full speed until thick.
4. To this, add the icing sugar and, again, whisk until thick and glossy.
5. Cover the outside of the chilled pumpkin spice sponge with meringue and pop into the hot oven for one minute or less until the meringue takes on some colour.
6. Alternatively, you can blowtorch the outside of the sponge to get this effect.
7. All there's left to do is tuck in!